Southwestern posts sweep over Hounds

PORTALES — Southwestern Oklahoma hardly looked like a winless team in Friday’s Lone Star Conference crossover baseball doubleheader against Eastern New Mexico University at Greyhound Field.

The Bulldogs, who brought an 0-9 record to Portales, pounded ENMU pitching for 32 runs on 32 hits and notched a 14-7, 18-8 sweep of the Greyhounds, who absorbed just their second double loss of the spring.

Southwestern erased a 7-4 deficit with five-run outbursts in the sixth and seventh inning in the opener, then scored in all but one frame of the second game.

Ryan Pease’s three-run double off Keith Balderaz (0-1) gave the Bulldogs an 8-7 lead in the first game, and Dakota James added a two-out RBI single. Southwestern then added five more runs in the top of the seventh off Justin Sergeant and Derrick Kennedy.

ENMU (10-8) took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the first when Matt Chavez singled, Clayton Young tripled, Tim Crafton delivered an RBI groundout and Mike McDuffie belted his third home run of the season.

Kennedy added a two-run shot in the third, his second of the season, for a 5-2 lead. Kennedy’s RBI single and Tyler Hayes’ run-scoring double made it 7-4 in the fifth.

Southwestern starter Jeff Keller (1-1) labored through 117 pitches in six innings, but hung around long enough to get the win.

In the nightcap, left fielder Sean Rogers went 3-for-5 with two triples and five RBIs and the Mustangs took the lead with a four-run second off Troy Vaughan (2-2).

The Hounds closed to 7-5 with a three-run third that included a two-run double by Hayes and a squeeze bunt by catcher Paden Vendrely.

Southwestern countered with four-run innings in the fourth and fifth and two more in the sixth for a 17-5 cushion.

First baseman Jonathan Fontanet went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs for the Bulldogs. Right fielder Jonathan Marbury led ENMU’s 14-hit attack against Chris Morrison (1-1) and Brian Wortham by going 3-for-3.